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To clarify, we're on the California side of Tahoe, not Nevada. Big difference in taxes between the two.
The bark beetle is eating up millions of evergreens in California. The fire marshalls are saying this poses a far greater risk than the drought. If my house stands up to a fire but my whole town and all my friends houses burn, that would be horrid. And based on what we saw with the Lake County fire last summer, the firestorms are the worst in history. That fire went from 1 acre to 40,000 in one afternoon. It was unlike anything seen before. When 100 foot pines are crowning and the fire is jumping from tree top to tree top, there is no such thing as a fireproof house. We currently live in the Sierra Nevada mountains, so a massive fire is not an if. It's a when.
We love Vermont but the income taxes are crossing that off our list. We'd like to be near Brattleboro if possible. I'm looking along the border of VT/NH north of there.
I would take a look at Dover as an option. As the cost of living in Portsmouth is growing, Dover has started to see a cultural growth as well as a great downtown scene. You can definitely find some larger old homes there.
I agree the Dover area is worth a look. If the OP doesn't mind being a bit further away from a city center, somewhere like Barrington might be a good fit in terms of getting land/house more affordably (off/near 125). 10 min from Rochester, 15ish from Dover.
If you're truly set on the Monadnock region I think your choice is pretty much made. Aside from Keene, which has a very college-town feel and is the only sizeable settlement on the NH side of the river until you hit the Merrimack Valley, the area is pretty homogeneous. You'll have no trouble finding a big old house and plenty of land wherever you look.
If personality is more important, I'd suggest looking a bit further north. Claremont and Hanover are both fairly strong communities, and the Lake Sunapee region is worth a look, although a little removed from the 91 corridor. Still, you're well connected either way.
I think an important point to consider is that the distances between towns can be deceiving to someone fresh from The West. You could plant yourself just about anywhere in NH, VT or Mass and still be no further from Brattleboro than Lake Tahoe is from, say, Sacramento.
Which is my way of saying that you should broaden your search a bit before settling on the Western half of the state. As others have said, Rockingham has some of the most desirable real estate in NH, but you have to be willing to pay for it. I also agree with another previous poster that the seasonal nature of most of the Lakes Region detracts from the character of what are otherwise some truly adorable towns. Tuftonboro is still one of my favorite places to be.
And there is, of course, the White Mountains region, which will feel very familiar to you - ski resorts surrounded by tourist towns all nestled in some of the most beautiful scenery you could hope to find. The Appalachians may seem a bit dowdy next to the Sierras in the winter - and you're going to have to learn how to ski down a sheet of solid ice - but the Presidential Range is incomparable in the autumn.
The least expensive real estate around can be found even further north, up in The Woods, but you'll be looking at some pretty spectacular property taxes and utility bills. Some of the towns along the 2 have seen better days, but most of the people who have stuck it out are very devoted to the region, and it shows.
None of which is terribly helpful, I know. The best advice I can give is to come on over, spend a week or three exploring, and settle wherever your heart tells you to. I doubt you'll have any regrets regardless.
If personality is more important, I'd suggest looking a bit further north. Claremont and Hanover are both fairly strong communities, and the Lake Sunapee region is worth a look, although a little removed from the 91 corridor. Still, you're well connected either way.
I love the Upper Valley and have lived here since the mid-80s. However, you could not have named 2 more different towns than Claremont and Hanover.
Claremont is a downtrodden old NH mill town that has never found it's way forward. It has high poverty, struggling schools and one of the highest teen birth rates in the states. It also has some of the highest property taxes in NH as crazy as that sounds. While there are strong voices in the community working hard for change it is a serious uphill battle.
Hanover has Dartmouth College and DHMC (a world-class medical center). It has a near-zero poverty level, excellent public schools, basically no crime and all the other things you'd expect from an Ivy League college town where the minimum home price is in the $400k area. "Strong community" has a different feel in Hanover. Having dipped my toe in those waters in a few different ways I'd say it's not for the faint of heart (socially) or the thin of wallet (financially).
If you look to the Upper Valley I would suggest Lebanon which really splits the difference but has much better access to jobs, and a much brighter general outlook (as well as very good schools). They have a walkable downtown and easy access to the highway and surrounding towns. There is a strong community center and the general vibe is much more down to earth. It's actually quite a bit "nicer" than when I was living there many years ago as more and more professionals have spilled into Lebanon as a more financially accessible alternative to Hanover to raise a family.
Even better, any number of the small towns on both sides of the river that feed into the economic engines of Hanover and Lebanon. Each has it's individual vibe, pluses and minuses.
#1 thing I tell anyone looking at the Upper Valley is to RENT FIRST. It's worth a year of living out of boxes to make sure you buy in the right town for you, because they are all different.
There's more, much more, to the Monadnocks than Keene. Take Peterborough, for example. 30 minutes to Keene, 30 - 40 to the Nashua Manchester corridor for heavy shopping, but self contained with the basics otherwise, and presenting with great charm. You need to go to Boston? 90 minute drive. Airport? Manchester is 45 minutes or less.
We just moved here from DC, after exploring a good part of the state. Lebanon has its charms, but it flunked the "Costco test". Three are "nearby": Nearest is in Nashua, about 120 miles away. You have the basics, but that's it.
The SE quadrant is mostly commuter suburbs. I'd even put Portsmouth and surrounding towns in that category. Look at the map and note that any town with good freeway access (or tollway...) to the Boston metro area will be heavily developed and more expensive.
NH imposes taxes on businesses of all types operating within the state including sole proprietorships whose main business activity is out of state. If the business has sales of $150,000 or more or an "enterprise value" of $75,000 or more, you are subject to the "business enterprise" tax. Business profits are taxed at 8.5% if gross business income exceeds $50,000. Lesser amounts incur no tax.
Of importance to anyone with an S-Corp, NH does not treat S-Corp income as pass through income. I looked at moving back to NH not too long ago but realized I would be subject to "income tax" per se. All my business income which is treated as ordinary income anywhere else does not pass through to me in NH without being taxed. I was also in CA at the time like the OP. As bizarre as this may sound, my tax situation would have been a little worse in NH than in CA. My income taxes would have been slightly lower in NH but my property taxes were going to be much higher. I was looking at towns in S. NH with good schools.
We lived in the Monadnock Region for 30+ years and loved it. Hancock, Peterborough and Harrisville are my favorites for active community minded towns there. We moved north of Franconia Notch to be closer to hiking and outdoor adventures. Taxes are lowest around the lakes as another poster stated, but taxes aside each area of state has its own flavor. You should come and visit to get a feel for it. High speed internet varies from place to place, in Hancock our Fairpoint internet was horrible, where we are now it's great from them. I think the quality of the phone lines running past your house makes a difference. Good Luck
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